


When the Blitz came: A The Sun Never Sets Prequel

by GreyWolfGhost



Series: Sun Never Sets Twilight Saga [1]
Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Gen, London, Pre-Twilight, The Blitz, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-06-30 21:54:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15760455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyWolfGhost/pseuds/GreyWolfGhost
Summary: This is one of many prequels for my first fic The Sun Never Sets, it is how Chris, my character became a vampire in the first place. There will be seven chapters for this prequel, then I will also upload the same story only from Carlisle's point of view. This goes along with the actual fic so if you haven't checked that one out I hope you do. I'm proud how both came out. I am a history major and the Second World War is a particular interest to me, especially the events of the London Blitz so I tried to keep this prequel as historically accurate as possible. Hope everyone enjoys it.





	1. Chapter 1

                                                                         

 

 

London, England

November 14th, 1940

One month into the German airstrike on London known as the London Blitz

x-x-x-x

"Oy, Chris, wait up," I turned as I heard my name being called, it was my best pal Michael running down the hall toward me as I gathered up my jacket and book bag. "Thought you left without me mate," he huffed out of breath.

"Naw, jus' trying to get out of here 'fore Mrs. Kingsley spots me,"

"What does she want with you," I turned Michael so he was facing the wall just outside our classroom, where a notice had been posted. "Oh, the Christmas pageant,"

"Aye, you see the reason now Mikey boy?" I paused and slipped my jacket on, much to big on me, as it belonged to my father, but it was better than nothing with rations for clothing being so tight, 'sides he had no use of it…he had his military issue. "Now, quick 'fore she spots us!"

We turned to make a dash for the door, when I heard her heels clicking on the floor, getting closer, I turned around…my mistake. She was angry, even though she was smiling. I'm excellent at reading people's body language on how they may be feeling and while her smile said one thing, her eyes and posture told a completely different tale.

"Mr. Callaghan I was hoping to catch you before you left." She said sternly.

"Yes, Mrs. Kingsley?" She is one of those teachers who freeze your insides just by looking at you, she's Mike and I's secondary teacher for our ninth year and also in charge of the school's choir.

"You were not at practice today, do you have an explanation for your absence." I kept my face smooth but felt my heart pick up speed. Sometimes Mrs. Kingsley reminds me of Count Dracula, she has this undead look about her, especially when she is angry, I bet she would even make Mister Churchill quiver in his boots if he was to face her.

"I spoke to the headmaster ma'am and told him I would not be singing in the choir this year or any years to follow."

"Excuse me?" My heart was pounding so hard I thought it was going to jump right out of my chest, but I had anticipated this confrontation earlier in the day by reading her face every time she looked at me and therefore had plenty of time to prepare my counter reason.

"Ma'am I am nearly fourteen. With my father off serving I am planning on finding my own way to serve and support my mother, my father, and my country, the choir just isn't important to me anymore, I'm sure there are plenty of others who can take over."

"Is not important?" she shouted and Mike flinched, but expecting this kind of reaction from her, I did not. "Mr. Callaghan must I remind you how important our Christmas pageant is to not only the students and faculty of this school but to those who are in need, this Christmas more than ever. With everything that is going on, we are fortunate to be having a pageant at all. I expect you to be at practice tomorrow afternoon ready to sing. I hope you're mother never hears about this, I assure you this is the kind of behavior I expect from an ungrateful spoiled child, not one from a family such as yours, with your father doing his part to help us defend England against the Nazi's whom if I must remind you are particularly fond of killing the innocent. I expect you as Dr. Callaghan's only son to do your part as well and that means lifting the spirits of wary folks on Christmas Eve!"

She turned around on her heels and marched off, Mike looked terrified, but I simply shook my head after her, I could read her like an open book and I was not afraid of her.

"Bloody twit," I muttered.

"So you really not going to sing this year?"

"Oh don't you start," I replied shoving him gently as we walked out of the building. It was late afternoon, so it was just beginning to get dark…but it was cold… very cold. Winter was in London with a vengeance.

"So, we still on for our football match tomorrow?"

I nodded

"If I can get out of the bloody choir…"

"What will your mum say?"

I shrugged

"Don't know, never thought to ask her 'bout it. She always encouraged it, my father, on the other hand, he really doesn't care one way or another…I suppose I can ask him when he comes home for leave for Christmas, just need to stall Kingsley till then, its only three more weeks till he comes home, I think I can avoid her till then." We were nearing our parting way…I live about a mile from the school, Mike just around the corner.

"Hey, Neil and his sisters got shipped out," I turned to stare at my best friend…Neil lives on my street, and we pal around together, unlike Mike and I, he hates sports, won't play football with us or even cricket, but he comes up with these glorious plays for football that always win us the game. "They left yesterday,"

"I was wondering why he wasn't in class today, where'd they go?"

Mike shrugged

"no one knows, not even their mum. She won't find out till they get there." Mike kicked a piece of shrapnel left over from a bombing early in the week. His little brother has been collecting shrapnel and the little bugger is obsessed with the idea, he actually tried to slug me once when I when I went for a piece in front of the school, so I was surprised that he didn't pick it up.

"Henry done with the shrapnel then?" I asked

"Naw, he wants to get it himself, little prat… he gets kind of shirty when we bring 'em home for him. Apparently it hasta be a particular, he threw a fit when his mate Sam brought him a piece 'fore he left for the country…though mum thinks he just didn't want his best mate to go without him…" Mike paused and looked up at the sky "My mum wants me an' my brothers to go too," he looked at me "what 'bout your mum?"

I sighed.

"She was talking it over with some of our neighbors…and I told her that I wasn't going anywhere." I paused and kicked the same shrapnel "I promised my father that I would look after her and the house while he was gone…I can't do that if I'm out in the country somewhere. Though my aunt and uncle offered to take me in. But their all the way up in Glasgow, that's to far for me to look after my mum properly."

"My mum's really considering it, 'pecially after the other night, our neighbors house was flattened, whole family gone, they were still pulllin' out bodies when I left for school this mornin'."

Years before, I would have been horrified at this news and even felt sympathy. But unfortunately events like that were becoming daily occurrences something we were all getting quite used to.

We both looked up at the gutted buildings around us,

"I don't know how much more London can take…" I said softly

"My mum says that as long as Saint Paul's stands, there will be hope in London," he made a face and we both started laughing, but I had to agree with Mike's mum…my mum says the same thing. I looked down the street, where I could just make out the dome of the church. "Well, I best be gettin' home, my mum doesn't like me comin' home after dark, she's afraid I'll be flattened by a stray bomb."

All of us had heard that order from our parents. An air raid could begin at any moment and the last thing you wanted to do was be caught outside of a shelter during one.

"See you tomorrow then," I said adjusting the strap on my book bag. He nodded and gave me a wave, heading towards his street just around the corner.

I took a deep breath, allowing the cold November air to fill my lungs, I enjoy the cold, probably more than I really should, but the feeling of the sharp cold air entering your body, it gives you the sting of realization that you are alive.

The street was empty of people and the sun was nearly set, the lamps were beginning to come on and I quickened my pace. My mother was going to be worried and if I came in late I was in for it.

I didn't hear the siren at first, I was so used to the noise that it didn't stand out like it should have, the warning bells in my body reacted slowly.

The first thing to react was my heart…it began beating faster and faster, as the siren wailed it's warning…the lamps began to dim and go out…slowly. However there was just enough daylight to see what was going on…Off in the distance, I saw the distinct shape of Focke-Wulf fighter planes…Nazi bombers, the Luftwaffe, they were coming in for another attack on London.

"Bloody hell," I swore under my breath. Quickly I looked around for a shelter… anything that could hide me. Suddenly my mind went blank, I couldn't remember where the nearest shelter was…there was an underground entrance nearby…but bloody hell, I couldn't remember where it was…and I knew I'd never make it home before the bombing started-

That thought was hardly through my head when the first group of bombs were dropped. The ground shook beneath my feet and the air filled with smoke. I made a dash for one building, but it was worse off than the other houses, it would provide barley any protection, if anything, it was a standing deathtrap…

Damn!" I ran around the street, desperately looking for anything…anything that could constitute a shelter, that was the first thing we were taught when the bombing started in September, take shelter anywhere you can find it, better to be buried alive than crushed to death…

Panic was setting in, my heart was pounding so hard I couldn't breathe… not that I wanted to, every breath brought with it the smell and taste of smoke and burnt rubber.

Finally. I saw it…a cart…no it was a bench, a piano bench, partially buried under a pile of rubble…with just enough space for me to crawl into. I hesitated for a second, weighing my options if I had longer to assess the situation I probably wouldn't have made the decision I did… but the bombs were getting closer, the ground was shaking more violently. Death was certain if I stood out in the open like this.

I made a dash for it, dropping my rucksack in the process and my gasmask gas. The bombs continued to drop I could hear them all around me, but I couldn't look, my focus was getting to that bench.

I slid to a stop and pain shot up my leg as the street shredded my trousers and bit at my knees. Feverously I dug through the rubble giving myself more of a crawl space and dragged myself in.

I pulled my knees to my chest and covered my head with my coat. Outside my shelter, I could hear the bombs falling and the explosions, whistling and crashing matching each other beat for beat. I prayed that they wouldn't gas us, knowing that my protection from that, issued only a month ago was ten feet away near my bag.

Despite these sounds, I focused on something else, I had to focus on something or else I would be counting down the explosions until one landed on me. I focused on something I had wanted to give up less than fifteen minutes before… I began to softly sing a Christmas carol that the school's choir always sang…a song that I have been singing since I was seven years old, my father's favorite Christmas carol.

"Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say, throw cares away…Christmas is here, bringing good cheer, to young and old, meek and the bold. Ding" boom, another bomb, closer that time "ding dong…ding" booom, Oh bloody hell its here…I scrunched my body up tighter trying to block out the noise.

I felt the ground shaking and I held my breath listening.

A new sound filled the air, a sickening crunching sound…like rocks being rubbed together.

My eyes went wide with fear for a moment, before I tightened myself up, seconds before I heard the building collapse and felt it land on top of my shelter.

The small bench did little to protect me against the building as rubble crumbled on top of the bench, crushing me underneath.

I couldn't move, I could barely breathe, air was coming in, there was enough space for that, but the weight of the rubble was suffocating me.

My body was in pain, but I wasn't focused on it…I was so cold, but I felt strangely warm, I could feel my eyes closing and I didn't try to fight them as the darkness took over.

I don't want to die, not here, not like this…not crushed under a damn building, not freezing on the streets. I want to live a long time, grow to be an old man… see the world… I want to tell my mother I love her, I don't want her to have to identify my body. I can't leave her alone, not like this…she'll be all alone.

And my father… there's still so much I have to learn from him, he wants me to become a doctor like him…

I've almost mastered the Callaghan Scotsman, our family's equivalent to the Chinaman…I'm only the third in the family to do so, no one else can bowl left handed and right, 'cept my dad an' grandfather, we make an unbeatable Cricket team… oh dad….no… I'm so cold…I'm not ready to die I can't die like this.

This isn't the way I want to go…I want my chance to fight the Germans…serve my King defending Him and His family from those that threaten our Island…two more years…I can lie 'bout my age…enlist…fight for my homeland. No one can stop me, not my parents, not the Gerry's, not Death.

"He….Help…" The weight was so intense it was difficult to breathe, let alone call for help, but I wasn't going to die, not today, not here.

The bombs will stop and the medics and firefighters will be out searching for injured, opening up the shelters to release people. Someone will come…I just have to stay awake long enough for them to find… me…

 


	2. Chapter 2

                                     

 

 

"'ere, someone said they 'eard callin' down 'ere,"

I slowly opened my eyes…someone was out there, someone to pull me out.

I was alive, I tried to take a deep breath to call for help, but the moment I did, a sharp pain filled my body.

I ignored the pain in my arm and tried to push some of the rubble off me, it did the trick…the sound of the rubble shifting caught the medic's attention,

"Over here! I see a hand," I felt more rubble being lifted off of me, and I blinked as a hand reached into my cavern. "It's a boy!" my rescuer paused before looking back at me "can you move laddie?"

The rubble was crushing me, I felt sharp piercing pain along my side and my ribs moved they're not supposed to move, not like that.

My father's a doctor, I know enough about the human body to know that my ribs were broken, most if not all.

My whole upper body…it's crushed…but that shouldn't make breathing as difficult as it is…something else is wrong…

"what's yer name son?"

"Chri….Ch" air…I need air, I'm breathing but no air is entering my lungs, at least not enough. More rubble is pulled off of me, and I feel myself being lifted out of my shelter.

"He's in bad shape," someone says, "he's freezing to death."

"The clinic, it's 'is bes' option, that American doctor..." I'm in someone's arms…I'm not sure who, but he's holding me close, cradling me to his body, I can hear his heart beating faster and faster and I can hear the rumbling deep in his chest as he speaks to his comrades.

"We need to warm him, he'll be dead of the cold,"

"He'll be dead of more than that if we don't get him to the clinic. Quick as we can, lets go now!"

We're running now…I can barely keep my eyes open and I cannot feel my body at all. Though I am not sure if it's the cold or if my body is going into shock…shutting down… giving up.

I'm not sure how far we…he runs…I just know I'm not outside anymore, I'm in a building…its warm…at least I think it is, my body doesn't recognize it…it's to numb.

"Doctor," we're running through the halls now, out of the corner of my eye I can see people, hundreds of people, beds and tables, medics, nurses and doctors tending to the wounded. People are crying, some are screaming… "Found 'im buried under a pile of rubble, 'e's been crushed, frozen pretty badly too. It's bloody cold out there,"

"Has he said anything?" a new voice joined the ones I had grown to recognize as my rescuers.

This one is young… but still a grown up, his voice is calm and steady, but insistent and impatient. He's American, at least his accent is, I can hear a bit of English in his accent, but its only a bit as if he's been in the States for a long time.

"No, tried to give us 'is name,"

I felt myself shifted gently, my rescuers preparing to move me,

"I'll take him from here, thank you,"

"Take care Dr. Cullen."

I'm moved, placed in someone (the doctor I assume,) arms. He carries me swiftly down the hall, cradling me close like the medics had, but this was different. Maybe it was just my body's senses failing, but, unlike the medics, I felt colder in his arms as if his body was made of ice, but I felt safe in his arms, protected. But what really caught my attention was the sound or in this case, the lack there of, for I did not hear a heart beat... not once.

I saw more people…the injuries seemed to grow worse the further down the hall we traveled and then we were alone…

I try to speak, those people, most of them are in worse shape than me…I try to tell the doctor, I looked up at his face to prove to him I was fine.

He was pale…and his eyes…yellow. I had never seen anyone like him before, no one that pale or with eyes that color before in my life.

I am not very heavy, but even so, the doctor carries me as if I weighed nothing, there is no effort in his face and I watch him carefully, he does not breathe, not once do I see him take a breath.

I'm laid in a bed gently as he began to examine my injuries, he's still calm and hides himself well, but I can read his body language he's not hopeful.

"My name is Carlisle Cullen, can you tell me yours?" I tried to take a deep breath to speak, but that sharp pain hit me again and I couldn't help it, I cry out in pain.

His calm face shifted to concern and he reached to my side, feeling my side and my chest gently, he gently pressed on my sternum and I felt things inside me shifting again.

He was trying to be careful and gentle, even so it brought tears to my eyes, I clenched my teeth trying to stay calm, but it was like being hit in the head with a cricket ball, tears are involuntary.

"C…" I tried to say

Dr. Cullen leaned close to me

"your ribs are crushed son, but one rib has broken off and has punctured your lung, every time you breathe, it widens the puncture. That is why you are struggling to breathe"

Ah…that explains it, my whole body is crushed. Dr. Cullen hadn't said it, but I could read it on his face, the soldiers finding me had been the only miracle of the day…I wasn't going to live through this, not with a punctured lung, not with how crushed my small body was.

Of course, Dr. Cullen wasn't going to say this to me…he didn't want to frighten me he had no way of knowing I'm a doctor's son. I had to tell him my name…he had to get a message to my parents, I couldn't die some unknown victim. I wouldn't allow my parents to live out their lives not knowing what had happened.

"Christian…" I finally managed to gasp out, ignoring the pain in my chest and even more so the tears in my eyes "Callaghan."

Dr. Cullen smiles sadly and puts his hand on my head…there at least now he knows my name, now he can get word to my mum.

"Carlisle?" a new voice entered, a teenage voice, the owner was a boy few years older than I five at most, I could just barely see him through my tears that I struggled to keep back. "Things are calming down out there, looks like the bombing has stopped for now." He looked at me, I could see him now, he looked just like the doctor, pale… same colored eyes, they must be related…brothers… cousins perhaps. "How long?"

Dr. Cullen lowered his voice and even though I couldn't hear him, I could make out his words on his lips,

"It could be an hour, it could be a few. It is not a question of if, but rather when. There is far to much damage for him to recover. By all respects of what he just went through, he should be dead. He is so young, cant be more than fourteen. At least he wont die alone on the streets, he'll die with someone watching over him. I only wish we could find his family in time, give them a chance to say goodbye

"He's concerned, but not for his own life but for his mother. He was on his way home from school and was running late, he's worried that she might have gone out to look for him and may have been hurt herself. His father is a medic serving in the heart of the city they haven't seen him in a few months, but he's a well known physician in the city." The boy smiled knowingly. He knew I was eavesdropping, but did not care, neither did Dr. Cullen, but I was taken aback, how did the teen know all that about me?

"I am going to stay with him," Dr. Cullen looked at me sadly, he was trying to hide his expression "he should not be alone with this, if things are calming down out there, I will not be needed."

The boy gave Dr. Cullen a look,

"Carlisle, you are not considering it, are you?"

"Of course not Edward, he is to young, the transformation alone would-" his voice trailed off "and what about afterwards…what kind of future can a fourteen year old really have in this life…"

"He's strong enough, at least for the transformation. He's a tough kid already. He's older mentally then he is physically, going by his thoughts alone I would put him as old as you." Edward said casually and I wondered what I was strong enough for,

"An old soul? Dr. Cullen asks and Edward nodded

"Very old, and probably the oldest fourteen year old mind I have ever experienced. All it comes down too is a matter of his willpower afterwards being strong enough. it is just a matter of his willpower being strong enough. Not that I am suggesting anything." Edward paused "you are considering it! I can see it! You swore Emmett would be the last."

I felt my eyes getting heavy, all they wanted to do was close forever, and I was losing the fight with them.

"I am well aware of what I said Edward, I was there."

There was a long pause between the two, before their lips started to move again, only thing I could gather was that Dr. Cullen knew a way to save my life and for some reason Edward was against it.

"Carlisle this is different. His family is still alive, there will be people to mourn him which means there will be people to report him missing, this isn't like with Esme and I, this is Rosalie all over again. His father is a doctor, people know him and they will wonder."

The darkness was coming back, I could feel myself drifting off to sleep again, before I could fully comprehend the names and the words of being missing, I wanted to sleep, so badly I wanted to shut my eyes forever and never wake up.

Suddenly my mother's face enters my mind again…her face, my father's face…my body buried in the ground somewhere…alone…cold…

"No!" I shouted, using what was left of my strength to fight the images in my head. I felt hands on my shoulder, holding me down,

"Easy Christian easy son" Dr. Cullen paused "he's fading fast, do you hear that his heart is slowing, time is almost out. We need to make a decision." He paused again "can he handle it?"

I didn't hear Edward's reply…nor did I care anymore, the darkness was coming fast, the images of my family and my lifeless corpse continued to flash in my mind, but I was accepting it.

Dr. Cullen was right…I was fading fast I could feel it, death was coming and I welcomed it. Dr. Cullen knew my name…he could tell my mother, return my body to her… give her my pocket-watch,

My pocket-watch, my grandfather had given it to my father and he had given it to me for safekeeping he said. It's in my pocket I can feel it against my leg, I have to return it to him, it's his, I was only minding it for him.

"Mu…mum," I whimpered "pleas…please…tell my mum wh…" I couldn't finish…I couldn't breathe anymore.

Dr. Cullen leaned close to my head, whispering softly in my ear:

"Christian, there is a way to save your life, it is not pleasant nor is it temporary. Saving your life will mean immortality, but with a price. The process is very painful and the end result will mean you will never age" I tried to understand what he was telling me: immortality, pain. "You will be dead to those who once knew you," dead to those who know me? What did he mean?

"I…I don't understa…stand." He leaned closer and whispered in my ear, a single word, that I knew…that I had read about and seen portrayed at the cinema, a word that I had always believed had no truth in modern society… in my world. Simply did not exist, fantasy, make-believe, at least I thought so:

"Vampire."

I stared at Dr. Cullen, my eyes growing wide with understanding and across the room to Edward…

I now understood…all the clues fit so perfectly now: their pale skin, the strength Dr. Cullen had used carrying me to this room with no effort, the cold, the lack of a heartbeat. They were vampires, something Dr. Cullen was offering for me to become.

I had grown up reading about Count Dracula and his horde of bloodsucking monsters, I had seen Bela Lugosi in the American retelling of the story, I had seen Nosferatu a symphony of terror, my first real film, they were all evil monsters who killed with no remorse.

But Dr. Cullen, I did not sense a monster with him, I couldn't read that on his person same for Edward, neither were evil and unlike the Count and his victims…Dr. Cullen was giving me a choice.

I knew what I was sacrificing, my family…my life… who I was…but was I not sacrificing those same things by allowing the Bean Neigh her chance at me…

Dr. Cullen asked me to trust him and I did…I trusted him. I was not ready to die, no one is. Though I was frightened as to what becoming a vampire would truly mean for me…I feared something that held more of an unknown…my death.

Doubt over my decision still racked my mind, but time was growing short. I want to live, even if that meant becoming a vampire, even if that meant my life would never be the same ever again. Even if I could never go home (a thought that did not hit me until long afterward.)

Nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even our troubles…that's what my favorite actor Charlie Chaplin always says…please let him be right.

So with my heart beating so loud, I feared it would leap out of my chest I nodded to Dr. Cullen and sealed my fate with three words

"I trust you."


	3. Chapter 3

 

                                                                        

 

 

What happened after I uttered those three words is sketchy in my memory. I felt my heart working twice as hard to keep my dying body alive and it was faltering, quickly.

I don't know if what I remember is actual memory or if it is what my mind filled in the empty portions of my memory. Though I distinctly remember Dr. Cullen lifting me up in his arms and running out of the hospital with me, I don't remember the transformation starting at the hospital, in fact, I was sure that I had enough life in me to reach the cottage before the transformation would be started. But who knows, I have never been told any different then what I think I remember:

I do remember the bite, regardless of it happening at the hospital or at the cottage which I cannot be sure, I may not have seen the first bite, but my god I bloody felt it, as Dr. Cullen lifted my wrist and bit into it. The pain was unbearable and once it began I could feel the venom rushing through my veins, then Dr. Cullen lifted my left wrist, a second bite…I was nearly unconscious by this point, but still awake to remember Dr. Cullen brushing my bangs back as he leaned into my neck.

Dr. Cullen never left my side, nor did Edward.

Both stayed with me, trying their best to comfort me with words and their hands holding my own, reminding me that they were still there. I found myself wondering at varying points how long my body could survive this pain, was it possible to die from the inside out?

I thrashed about, trying to escape the fire that had been lit inside my veins. I tried not to scream, trying to endure the burning without making a sound, to be brave, but as my heart beat faster, my strength weakened and crying out in pain was all I could do.

I felt a hand on my chest, just above my heart, it lingered for only a moment, before it's owner retracted.

"Hear that? His heart is speeding up, the venom is at his heart."

"Already?…it's only been-"

"I know, but it is almost done, it will be over very shortly. Amazing, a day and a half and it is nearly finished."

My heart was fighting the venom; I could feel with each beat it grew weaker, despite how fast it was beating.

I was now crying uncontrollably and desperately fighting back my screams that wanted to be heard.

I don't know what made me suddenly turn my attention to the sound of my heartbeat and the feeling of it beating deep in my chest, but I felt the beats growing faster, so frequent that it seemed to hum, the pain from the venom was nothing compared to the fear I now truly felt.

Each beat I managed to count I found myself praying that another would come, and then another…there was no delay between beats now, I thought that my heart had finally stopped and that I was only imagining that it continued to beat, only to be surprised when I did hear it… one final beat of defiance, then another…one more…and then…the final beat as my heart finally gave in with a shudder and was still.


	4. Chapter 4

                                                                                

 

"Christian…I need you to open your eyes." I heard Dr. Cullen calling to me, but I wasn't ready to open my eyes. I tried…but what my body wanted to do and what my mind was commanding were two very different things.

I no longer felt my heart beating in my chest, but I also no longer felt the pain that my body had been in before the burning pain. My body had been crushed, and yet, it felt fine, fine except I was thirsty… extremely so, so much so it was actually painful.

Slowly I obeyed Dr. Cullen and allowed my eyes to open. The first thing I noticed was my sight, I could see things in great detail, my eyesight had always been typical, but now, it was more than perfect, it was sharp and pristine and I saw things so clear…

And sounds… I could hear the sound of a motorcar traveling down a dirt road, but I had paid attention when I was brought to the cottage, the nearest road was at least 10 miles away, was my hearing now as advanced as my eyesight appeared to be?

One more sense made itself known and made itself known more powerful than the others, smell. I could smell everything around me, the woods themselves, I sniffed the air…it was morning and I could smell snow on the ground. I could smell snow and I could smell that it was morning, bloody hell.

My nose twitched as a new scent entered…a musty animal like smell, but somehow, I knew that it was not an animal.

A fire similar to the one that had raged through my body only moments ago erupted in my throat, I was so thirsty and that smell it was overwhelming, I wanted it…badly. My body knew that the smell was accompanied by something that could quench my thirst.

My eyes went wide, my god…it was a person, a hunter out trapping in the woods and I wanted his blood. I could hear his heart pumping the warm blood through his veins, I could hear it, I could feel it, I could smell it, and my god I wanted it badly.

"NO!" I shouted jumping up, just as quickly hands pushed me back down to the bed holding me there.

My mind was completely against the blood my body wanted and I wondered what was stronger, my mind and the owner of the hands holding me down or my body and it's desire.

"Easy Christian, easy, it will pass, hold your breath if you must. It will pass I promise, trust me, son, it will pass."

I growled without truly meaning too…but obeyed just the same. Five seconds passed, then fifteen, then half a minute and still, I held my breath, waiting for the need to take a breath before realizing that need would never come.

My heart no longer beat, therefore it no longer pumped blood through my body and had no need of oxygen to rejuvenate itself, I could hold my breath indefinitely and never worry about it again.

But I couldn't speak if I was holding my breath, despite not needing air to breathe; I did need it to speak, and it felt strange…to not breathe, my body instinctively wanted to, even though it did not need to.

Still feeling Dr. Cullen's firm hands on my shoulders, I took a deep breath…the scent came with the air and again the burn hit my throat, but the hunter was further away now so his scent was weaker and so was the burn.

"Dr. Cullen?" I called weakly, the burning pain more prominent with each word; I carefully looked up at his calm face. He smiled gently and brushed back my bangs with one hand still on my shoulder.

"You did well Christian, very well" His voice full of pride

I looked away from him, feeling undeserving of the pride I was receiving from Dr. Cullen.

"Will it always be like that? Will I always feel that?"

"The burning?" I nodded "it will always be present, but the intensity will fade with time and experience, eventually you will be able to ignore the scent for the most part."

He slowly backed off and allowed me to sit up; I put a timid foot on the floor and allowed myself to stand up.

I felt the same, nothing felt different, was I dreaming this whole thing? Had the bombing never happened, was I home in my own bed and my mum was coming to wake me for school? I've always had a pretty decent imagination, but even I have to admit, this is pretty elaborate even for me to dream up.

I slowly walked towards a mirror, leaning against a table; I looked back at Dr. Cullen then knelt down in front of it. A thick layer of dust covered the glass and I used my sleeve to clean it, allowing my reflection to look back at me.

I nearly fell back in surprise; for one thing, I had not expected to see my reflection… wait a second, vampires cast no reflection… that was what Bram Stroker had noted in his book. It was a known mark of a vampire…maybe this was a dream.

But it was my reflection all right, though it was pale, like Dr. Cullen, it was my face… but the eyes that stared back at me…those were not my eyes. Red…blood red eyes like some kind of demon, where my brown human eyes had once been. I was not dreaming…this was real, this was really happening.

I opened my mouth expecting fangs like Count Dracula, but my teeth were the same, no fangs.

I felt metal tap against my chest and remembered my cross, a gift from my parents at my first communion when I was six.

I reached for it, timidly cradling it in my hand expecting to see a burn or something on my chest from where the charm had touched my pale skin, but there was nothing, no marks nothing, I rubbed the gold cross between my thumb and pointer finger for a moment.

The confusion was getting worse, were all the legends surrounding vampires that I had known from stories, were they all false?

Was there nothing that was true about what a vampire did or was bound by? Did that mean that our diet wasn't the same? But as I started thinking it over… I couldn't explain my want for blood, which had to be true; blood had to be a part of a vampire's life.

But…I looked over at Dr. Cullen and instantly I could read his body language, not like I had always done with my family, friends, classmates or even Mrs. Kinglsey before she had confronted me about the choir, but somehow I knew all about Dr. Cullen, his life, what he had been through, just what kind of person he is.

I had never experienced this before, I had never been able to read a person like this, this was different, because instead of just guessing about a person like I usually do, instead, I saw all this in my mind and I felt it throughout my body. Confusion set in and washed over me, more confusion than I could bear.

Quickly I looked back at Dr. Cullen for an explanation, fear was welling up inside me, I felt sick, but at the same time, I didn't.

I had so many questions I didn't know where to begin and I didn't know how to ask them. But Dr. Cullen seemed to guess that and gave me a comforting smile. He reached into a sachel and from it came a pile of clothes folded neatly. I looked down at my own attire and winced at just how ruined my school uniform was. My trousers were shredded beyond repair and were covered in blood, but what also caught my attention was the gaping hole in the material just below my knee, it was just large enough for a bone to have stuck through and I shuddered.

My wool jumper with my school's insignia was covered with soot, dirt, and a lot of blood, I hadn't realized how much blood I had truly lost when I was crushed and I was surprised I had survived as long as I did. Dr. Cullen patted my shoulder and directed me to a room off to the side of the cottage, a lavatory. I took the clothing from Dr. Cullen and excused myself into the lavatory. Inside I pulled off my jumper and stared at it, seeing how much it was drenched in my own blood I felt queasy and quickly threw it in the waste bin. A washcloth had been provided near the sink and I washed the remaining bits of dried blood from my pale chest and arms. There were no signs of my injuries, on my wrists were distinct bite marks and a small very unnoticeable mark on my neck, but that was all.

I took a deep breath and began to change into my new clothes. The new jumper was a bit too large on my small frame, and I suspected it belonged to the boy in the hospital with Dr. Cullen…Edward, I believe his name was.

The trousers were the same slightly larger around my waist and much longer in length then was comfortable, but I wouldn't complain I was happy to have clean, non-blood covered clothes at all and since the strict clothing ration had gone into effect these were the newest and fanciest bits of clothing I'd had in months.

I splashed some water on my face and was surprised not to feel the cold water, I felt the water itself, but that was it, no cold and even though there should've been a chill in the air I didn't feel that either, I felt nothing except my own cold body.

Dr. Cullen was waiting for me, he was seated not far from the bed, reading a thick leather book. He looked up when he heard me approach. Smiling warmly, Carlisle gestured for me to follow him and I did. We walked through the cottage to a small kitchen area where a table stood with four chairs. He pulled out one of the chairs and I sat down in it as he took one across the table from me.

"Dr. Cullen, I…" my voice trailed off, I had so many questions, but I couldn't form the words.

"Christian, due to the time restraints there was much I couldn't explain to you earlier. Now I can explain everything in better detail and you can ask any questions I know you have. And I think you're eyes are the best place to start."

"How come they are red…you…you and Edward have yellow, is there something wrong with me?"

Dr. Cullen chuckled and shook his head,

"Christian the color of your eyes is completely dependent on you. But at the moment, the reason your eyes are red is that you are what is called a newborn, you still have your own blood in your body and until that fades, your eyes will remain that color." I blinked "but as far as your eye color being dependent on you, what that means is your eye color will depend on your diet." I winced, pulling my feet up onto the chair and wrapping my arms around my knees, crunching myself uptight. I was afraid of the diet aspect of my new life. "Edward tells me that you know some of what we are, he tells me you were aware of vampires even before you met us."

"How…how does he know that?"

"I will explain that soon. But the point is that you are not naïve in regards to vampires?"

"no, I suppose I am not. My father, he read me Dracula, I've read the story myself more than any other book, I know the story page for page, but it's only through that I know anything," I glanced back towards the room that held the mirror "and I am beginning to believe that not all the legends in Dracula are correct, in fact I'm very certain all are false…well most at least."

Dr. Cullen smiled at that before continuing,

"Then you know that human blood is what a vampire craves yes?" I nodded "but what I assume you do not know is that we can survive on something else." My spirit lifted… "the reason Edward and I have the eye color that we do is that our family, we do not feed on human blood, instead we survive on animal blood. Now it does not completely eradicate the thirst, but it sustains us, allowing us to remain in control. Those of our kind who feed on human blood are less in control of the thirst they are not weaker, but find it more difficult to resist. With our diet, we are able to live fairly normal lives, we can be around humans. Understand?"

I nodded slowly,

"I suppose." I paused "so my eyes…they will eventually become yellow?"

Dr. Cullen nodded

"If you choose the diet that my family survives on; I leave that decision up to you, it is your decision to make."

What choice did I have, I had no desire (mentally at least) to go out and kill another human being…to drink their blood, granted the thought of drinking blood, in general, made me feel queasy.

But after what I had just experienced moments ago when that hunter's scent hit me…I knew that I didn't want to be a killer and if I could live like Dr. Cullen was explaining, then perhaps.

"Wait…My decision?"

Dr. Cullen nodded

"For the first few months, I insist on watching over you so to speak. The instinct of the newborn is strong and very dangerous. Christian, I have faith in your ability, but past experience with our kind has taught me to be cautious and immortality is a very long time to endure guilt and regret."

"And after the few months?"

"You may do as you please, you are of course welcome to stay and become part of the family, but if you decide to venture on your own you may do that, but keep in mind our doors are always open to you."

At the mention of the family, my though instantly fell to my mother…and my father. I had a feeling I knew the answer…but I still had to ask…

"What of my parents… can they ever…" Dr. Cullen shook his head and I read his face, it was becoming easier to read him and I wondered for a second if it wasn't just Dr. Cullen, I wondered if I could read everyone easier now. "I'm never going to see them again am I?"

"It is too dangerous,"

"But they are my parents I could never hurt them. Wouldn't it be easier to resist the blood around people whose blood I share…?"

"And how would you explain your sudden physical change, your eyes for example. You would not able to hide that from those who know you best. Not to mention, you may not realize it now, but our bodies are cold to the touch."

I made a face, I had forgotten about that.

"I cannot just let them live out their lives wondering what happened to me." I paused "I'm an only child, I am all they have. Even if it is to tell them that I died, I just can't stand them not knowing something."

Carlisle smiled gently

"I will take care of it if you would like." I nodded hurriedly, I could deal with that. "Now, you have some questions. Then we will go hunting."

I raised an eyebrow

"Hunting sir?"

"Edward left to learn what roams this forest, we will join him so you can ease the thirst I know you must be feeling."

I nodded, agreeing to thirst, it was not as bad as it had been, but I could feel it, I was so thirsty.

"I am going to have to kill an animal aren't I?"

Dr. Cullen nodded

"Regrettably we must consume blood, whether it be animal or human. He paused "I think before we do anything I need to explain some things." He paused again and rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment "I was the son of an Anglican preacher, here in England. My father led hunts for all manner of what he referred to as evil; vampires, witches, werewolves. When he grew too old to carry out his true love, he appointed that position to me. I was twenty-three and though I had helped my father with his hunts I did not truly believe any of it existed until I stumbled upon a coven of vampires. They were weak with thirst and gave no second thought in attacking us. I was bitten multiple times, but the creature was driven off before it could drain my blood, chasing another man. I was afraid of course and in great pain, I hid in a barrel of rotting potatoes until the transformation was complete. For days I fought the thirst that was reaching an unbearable point, I knew what I had become and knew what vampires did, so when I felt that I could not resist the call of blood any longer I hid away, in a forest much like this one, away from humans. I tried to starve myself, refusing to accept the blood my body craved. It wasn't until a herd of deer passed my shelter. By that point I was so thirsty I felt I would die of the thirst, even though I hadn't. The blood of a deer, it is not a pleasant taste and was not the taste my body craved, but it weakened the thirst. It was then I realized that I could survive on the blood of animals, but it would take decades before I trusted myself around humans and hundreds of years before I reached the point of control to doctor open wounds or trusted myself for that matter."

I thought Dr. Cullen's story over, nodding slowly, I understood the point of his story, it was the animal.

"Drinking from animals…you compare it eating a piece of meat, drinking from a deer is just like eating venison am I right?"

Dr. Cullen smiled and nodded his approval.

"Exactly."

"Will I be able to be around people eventually?"

He nodded again

"It will seem like forever, but I promise it will go by quickly." He paused "Christian you have a tremendous amount of control I have complete faith that it will continue."

I sighed, I still was not sold on the thought of drinking blood…of any kind. But I had to know one thing…one thing that was troubling me…no, not troubling, more confusing me.

"How did Edward know I know 'bout vam…" My voice trailed off, I still wasn't ready to say the word.

"The same way you seem to be able to read my body language as if you can read my mind. Edward can read thoughts. Sometimes, when we are changed, we take with us certain personality traits and abilities and these are amplified. Edward, for example, was much like you, he could guess so to speak what people were thinking, he was sensitive to the thoughts around him. When I changed him, that preexisting ability morphed if you will into his current ability."

"But I'm not like that,"

"Oh no?" he smiled again "at the hospital you knew what was being said between Edward and I even though there was no possibility that you could hear us." I shrugged

"I can read lips, my father always said I'm too observant for my own good. I'm sorry for eavesdropping." Dr. Cullen smiled

"Christian, it's not something to be ashamed of. You are talented at reading people am I correct? You can guess what they will do or what type of personality they have simply by their body language yes?" I nodded "you can accurately guess how they will react to certain situations and your best option for speaking to them." Again I nodded; he hadn't said anything that wasn't untrue though it was being blown way out of portion "I believe that ability has been amplified with you."

I thought this over, it made sense, but it couldn't be as rare as Dr. Cullen was suggesting, its something that everyone can do if they just pay attention.

"But I am just observant, if everyone looks a little closer at each other, a person's entire life can be written on their face and how they carry themselves. Everyone must be able to do that."

Dr. Cullen nodded

"True," he answered "but how many of those people do you think can make those predictions accurately 100% of the time and more importantly how many do you believe can see an entire person's life, their personality, their past and present, in their own mind just by reading that person."

I now understood where he was going with this, partly because I felt a twinge in the back of my head and instinctively tensed up as the door to the cottage slowly opened. Dr. Cullen nodded his satisfaction as Edward entered the cottage.

"Looks like it is deer for breakfast." He said softly coming over to the table and sitting down.

"Excellent, we were just discussing a few things."

I glanced out the window and then at Edward, he had gone outside during the day, what the bloody hell?

Edward grinned at me and shook his head.

"Myth Chris…completely fictitious." I opened my mouth to question the next myth but Edward's grin widened and he chuckled "nope, not holy water or stakes either." He looked over at Carlisle "I think it might be wise to show him."

"Show me what exactly?" I asked.

Carlisle cleared his throat

"Why we avoid going out into the sun."

"We don't turn to dust?"

Both of them chuckled

"No. but we do need to avoid sunlight whenever possible, for another reason." Carlisle placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and guided me to the front door.

Instinct kicked in, an instinct not from actual fact, but from all I had learned from movies, I fought to go near the door, but Carlisle was more forceful, though he was still gentle.

He pushed me through the door with Edward following, I covered my eyes at the bright light but found myself huddling closer to Carlisle.

He rolled my sleeve up and held my arm out so it was directly in the sunlight. My eyes went wide as I started my arm, it was like thousands of diamonds catching the light, my skin was sparkling.

I rotated my arm as the diamonds flashed off the walls of the cottage, I looked back at Carlisle and Edward, the confusion written all over my face.

"Wh…why?" I asked slowly.

"When the change is complete our bodies become like granite, even diamond-like," Carlisle explained the same sparkles on his own face and on Edward.

"Granite? Diamond?"

He nodded.

Edward reached down and picked up a rock about the size of a cricket ball. He tossed it to me and I easily caught it.

"Crush it." He said simply

"I beg your pardon!" I exclaimed.

"Crush it." He repeated with more force.

"Are you mad?" I replied. I looked at the rock in my hand and in my mind, it grew larger, crush it, how could I crush a rock?

"Just do it. Don't think about it just do it."

I looked back at Edward and curled my fingers tight around the rock and to my amazement, it turned to dust in my hand.

My eyes went wide again as the former rock poured out of my hand to the ground, reflecting in the sunlight as it floated to the ground.

"So Bram Stroker…he was wrong…about everything?"

Edward nodded and chuckled.

"Nearly." Carlisle explained, "Legends about us have been around for thousands of years, he took the more popular more colorful legends and combined them."

"What about the stakes and crosses…and holy water?"

"Those myths were invented to give people hope that they could protect themselves. Anything that might give even the slightest bit of hope was used. It is also a good way to for a vampire to prove that he is not a vampire. Many of the original myths were created by our kind. And as far as godly tools being used as weapons against us, people felt and in some parts of the world still believe that items associated with god are the most useful weapons against evil. But as you saw for yourself, none of them affect us. Becoming a vampire does not mean you automatically lose your faith, we are not all evil." Carlisle explained.

I nodded, rubbing my cross between my fingers gently if I could crush a rock with my bare hands, I had to be gentle with the small metal around my neck, my connection to my parents.

My parents felt it was important to attend church and be a good person, but they never pushed religion on me, despite my name.

I was named Christian because my mother felt it was appropriate to share a name with Christ considering my birthdays is the day before his is celebrated by Christians all over the world.

Mum felt that I was a Christmas gift to her and my father and named me Christian as a way to say thank you and because she felt it was only right.

"I'm sorry for bothering you with dumb questions," I said softly,

"Christian, despite what you have read and seen, this is all new to you. I would be entirely surprised if you did not have questions and would be alarmed as to why. If you do not ask questions how are you going to learn anything?" I grinned. My dad says that all the time… he who asks learns he who doesn't does not. "There will be plenty of time for questions, but at the moment I think we need to allow you to hunt." Carlisle finished.

I looked around and sniffed the air, I did not smell the same human scent I had earlier, the one that had made me so thirsty I was in actual pain, but the burn was still there, the desire for blood of any kind was as well and as much as I was disgusted by it, I followed Carlisle into the woods, with Edward behind me.

 

 

                                                                                             


	5. Chapter 5

                                                                     

 

"Chris, you have to stop fighting it." Edward pushed, kneeling next to me, his hand on my shoulder. I leaned closer to the tree as my fingers dug into the dirt. The burn in my throat was growing worse and worse, but still, I fought it.

Three days had passed since I started my new life, three days now since I had taken my last breath as a human and all three of those days had been spent in these woods sitting under the same tree, in the same position, three days I had yet to drink any blood.

I wasn't trying to be stubborn nor was I trying to be a problem, I watched Edward and Carlisle both take down a deer and had been all set to follow them, but with Carlisle chasing the first deer, all I could feel was fear, pain, and distress, and it wasn't my own feelings, I'm not sure how…but I know it was the deer's feelings.

At first, I thought it was just nerves, but after I watched Edward chase down the second deer that was when it hit me the hardest and I knew it was not nerves, nor was it my imagination I was empathizing the deer's distress.

So I sat there, under the tree, not moving except to clench more earth as the burn erupted in my throat.

It was even worse the previous day…a hunter wandered to close…he had recently made his kill, but in preparing the meat, had cut his hand. He had seen Edward and called out to us, believing us to be fellow hunters, which technically we were, hoping we could help him clean and dress his wound.

I was hit with the scent of blood instantaneously and was on my feet within seconds. I was so thirsty that the disgust of drinking blood vanished, I wanted his blood, I could see it, more importantly, I could smell it and it smelt so good. I was losing control, whatever little control I'd had shown the day before was fading fast.

Thank god Carlisle was standing next to me, he held onto me tightly as I fought to get at the hunter. Edward came over and took Carlisle's place as Carlisle took the man to doctor his hand far from us.

So here I sat, knowing that Carlisle and Edward might not be able to restrain me if another human crossed our path, but still unwilling to move for the same reason.

"Edward," Carlisle's voice entered the picture, but I didn't move, I stared straight ahead at the tree in front of me, my hand digging deeper into the ground. "Edward, we cannot wait any longer, Christian cannot wait any longer, this is becoming a dangerous gamble."

"I know," Edward replied, "what are we going to do?"

"We have no choice. Christian if you won't hunt on your own I'm sorry but forcing you to drink is the only option. I know you are not doing this out of rebellion, I know you are frightened and overwhelmed even if you do not wish to admit it, but it is dangerous to go this long, especially for a newborn. We cannot take the risk nor the gamble." Carlisle looked at Edward, "we will have to hold him down and force him to drink. I wish there was another way, but there isn't. Christian, please do not fight us"

I barely heard him anymore, I wasn't purposely ignoring Dr. Cullen, but I was focused on a new feeling…curiosity, a slight timid mixed in, but more prominent: Determination. I broke my stare at the tree and looked around.

A movement in the bush caught my eye, Carlisle and Edward's too because they looked the same way.

I held my breath, expecting another hunter, but out hopped a tiny rabbit, it's eyes wide with curiosity and its nose twitching.

It looked at Carlisle cautiously and shied away from him and Edward as it hopped nervously over to me.

"What the?" Edward said softly "Carlisle?" he asked looking at Carlisle for an explanation, as did I, which he was unable to give. "what is it doing?"

I stared at the rabbit nervously. I've always been fond of animals of all sorts, they trusted me and I've always been good at calming most anxious ones down.

When I last visited my aunt and uncle on their farm back home in Scotland, I enjoyed helping my relatives care for the small population of animals they have.

My mother and aunt felt I would make a perfect animal doctor, as opposed to the human doctor my father has…had high hopes for.

But after seeing how the animals around us in the woods had been reacting to Carlisle and Edward, I knew that those days of caring for animals were long gone…at least I thought they were, but there was a rabbit, coming closer to me, it wasn't afraid, it was hopping slowly to me, still keeping an eye on Edward and Carlisle.

When it was within arms reach, I reached out and gently stroked its soft fur, it's black eyes looked up at me and I felt a calmness and bravery replace the timid I had previously felt. Its ears gave a twitch and then to my surprise it laid down flat on its stomach and did not move.

"Dr. Cullen?" I said softly "what's going on?" but Carlisle still had the look of confusion on his face. Edward leaned closer to the rabbit, to examine it, but it lifted it's head and hissed at him and he pulled back quickly.

"Christian, you said that you felt fear and distress with the deer while we hunted them yes?" I nodded "what do you feel now…with the rabbit?"

"Calm…relent." I looked up at Carlisle as he knelt down next to me, the rabbit looked at him and I felt it's emotions shift to nerves, but it was not as powerful as it was when Edward had approached it.

"Christian, I believe it's offering up its life."

My eyes went wide,

"What?"

"It's not young, it's fairly old. I do not know why or even how, but that is what I think,"

"But why?"

Carlisle shrugged

"As I said, I do not know why." He paused "Christian, you have two ways to go with this, and you know what they are. You need to choose one."

I looked down at the rabbit, its eyes closed and it's breathing calm. I couldn't do it, I could not take a life, even an animal's…even if it was giving up its life. Eventually, I would, but not now, not like this.

Edward must have read this in my mind because he patted my shoulder gently and looked at Carlisle who nodded.

He gently picked the rabbit up, it flinched but remained calm, but I could hear it's heart pick up speed as Carlisle carried it away from me.

I knew what was coming and covered my ears tightly, not that it did any good, I still heard the snap as Carlisle broke the rabbit's neck, a quick merciful death.

He carried the rabbit's body back to me and handed it to me. I hesitated but knew I had no choice now. I knew that I couldn't expect this to happen forever, I could not rely on Carlisle to make the kill for me, nor could I rely on anyone else to do so. I would have to find a way to lessen the emotions, focus on something else during the hunt and especially during the kill. But I couldn't at the moment, I think all the stress, my own building emotions over the past few days made it impossible to concentrate on anything in particular.

It wasn't right and it wasn't fair to them, but I think Carlisle let this one slide, he knew I would mature in time with the hunting. I think he was just relieved that I was finally going to concede to drinking blood.

Before I did, however, I looked up at him and Edward, they were both smiling with relief and encouragement.

"I just wanted to apologize for my behavior…" I said softly "I…"

Carlisle stopped my apology by raising his hand

"Enough Chris, you have nothing to apologize for. Taking a life any life is never an easy task, but it is necessary." I nodded and turned my attention to the limp rabbit in my arms, it's body still warm and soft. "One step at a time Chris,"

With one more look at Edward and Carlisle's encouraging faces, I brought the rabbit's body to my mouth and bit into its neck, my razor sharp teeth sinking through the soft fur to the flesh beneath with no effort.

Instantly the warm salty blood poured from the veins and into my mouth. Carlisle was right about the taste it was awful, and my body felt cheated, for it had been expecting human, but it did what it intended, it calmed the burn in my throat instantly my throat and even my body was relieved, I could still feel a slight burn, but as the blood flowed down my throat it lessened considerably.

It took only a few moments to finally drain the rabbit, it being such a small creature, when I finished I laid it down on the ground and leaned against the tree.

"How do you feel Chris?" Edward asked me cautiously,

"Better…much better…" I rubbed my throat, the burn was still there and I looked around greedily for more blood to stait the burn, as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, smearing blood on it and I'm assuming my face,

Edward ruffled my hair and helped me to my feet, he handed me a cloth from Carlisle's medical bag to clean myself up a bit.

"Come on I'll help you take down a deer."

I looked at him, then at the rabbit. I nodded,

"In a moment?" I said softly, I knelt down and carefully dug a hole near the tree and gently laid the rabbit inside the hole. "Thank you," I whispered, pushing the earth back over the hole and laying a few rocks over the grave before I stood up and followed Edward and Carlisle deeper into the woods.

 

                                                                                                


	6. Chapter 6

 

                                                           

 

"What are you going to tell them exactly?" I asked timidly. Carlisle was pulling on his overcoat and cap, he looked over at me and sat down at the table across from me.

"What do you think I should say?"

I shrugged.

"I just want to come."

"Chris, we've been over this, it is not safe you need to stay here. When I come back Edward is going to take you back to our family."

"In America right?"

He nodded

"Yes. Washington state. I will follow when I am sure I am not needed anymore."

My face contorted into a frown.

"That won't be anytime soon." I replied "not if the Gerry's keep bombing us. If it keeps up there won't be anything left of Great Britain."

"Yes there will," Carlisle said reaching over and patting my shoulder "eventually it will stop, we are a strong nation. Look at what we have done; so many countries have fallen to German control, but not our tiny island." I grinned slightly, despite his American accent, Carlisle is about as American as I am, the British Isle is our homeland; we were both born citizens of the crown despite the differences in centuries.

"Right," I replied "we're an island and we've survived, even France fell, if anyone is as strong as us it's them."

"See, England's prevented invasion for hundreds even thousands of years, this will be no different. Especially with men like your father fighting."

I sighed.

"I heard on the wireless a few weeks ago that the Prime Minister called to President Roosevelt for military help." I ran my fingers through my brown hair "why haven't the Americans joined?" I paused "if they're not careful, Hitler will set his sight on them…if England falls, America will be next." I felt a mix of anger and pride welling up inside of me "we're the only wall that is blocking the Nazi's from the Atlantic and American shores."

Carlisle nodded in agreement.

"Believe it or not the president wants to get involved, but he is restricted by laws governed by Congress and even without that over him, he is reluctant to thrust America into a war, no one wants war, Chris."

"Do Americans know what's going on over here?"

He shook his head

"Not entirely. Only what is seen in newsreels and brief clips in the paper." I growled in frustration as I shook my head. They'd see…it was only a matter of time before the war was on America's doorstep. "Now, back to your earlier question. I will introduce myself to your mother and explain to her how I know her and who I am. I will explain that I was the doctor that treated you on the 14th after you were found buried beneath the rubble."

I could fill in the rest and I really didn't want to hear anymore, instead, I reached into my trousers pocket and pulled out my grandfather's watch. I stared at the gold face for a moment, before sliding it across the table to Carlisle.

"Here…you'll have an easier time convincing her I'm dead with this."

"Are you sure you wish to part with that?"

I nodded

"It rightfully belongs to my father. Not me, not yet." I paused and lifted myself into a squat in the chair, not ever, I amended to myself "she'll believe you that I'm dead if you give it to her, she knows I'd never part with that or let anything happen to it while I was still alive."

Carlisle patted my shoulder again and stood up.

"I won't be long." He turned to the small living room where Edward was reading "be ready to leave when I return." Edward nodded "I'll send a telegram to Esme letting her know you both will be on your way."

Carlisle had briefly described his and Edward's family to me, and I was nervous to meet them, even though I was now technically apart of it.

He headed to the door and I ran to him before he could head towards the Packard he had purchased when he and Edward had arrived in London a few months prior.

"Dr. Cullen," I called.

He turned to look at me with concern

"Yes Chris?" he asked softly I looked him straight in the eye.

"Tell her…tell her I loved her, that my dying breath was saying I love her and that I was sorry…please?"

Carlisle nodded

"I will, I promise." And with that, he got in the car and drove off. I looked at Edward reading and looked down the road, then back at Edward.

"Don't even think about it, Chris." He said without even looking up from his book. I made a face, I hate it when he does that.

"I wasn't," I lied

"Chris, I can read your mind. Yes, you were."

"it's not fair Edward, she's my mother. I want to at least see her one last time, even if I do not talk to her." I had read Edward's body language and Carlisle had briefly told me about his and Edward's pasts and how he had found Edward. Through reading Edward's body language and listening to Carlisle's story I knew Edward pretty well. "Don't tell me you hadn't wished the same thing. Wished you could have said goodbye to your mother, seen her one last time." This was not a question; I knew each thing I said was true.

"Different situation" was his reply.

"Not entirely."

"Chris, my parents were already gone when Carlisle changed me, my father had passed away early on, my mother a few moments at most before Carlisle made the decision to change me and I was at death's door myself."

"But if they weren't."

"Then Carlisle wouldn't have changed me."

"Even if they were still dying, but were not gone yet? And you had just one chance to say goodbye to them…you'd take it."

Edward thought this over, he wanted to do what Carlisle had asked, but I was winning the argument, slowly, but I was winning.

"Is your father a lawyer or a doctor kid?"

I grinned

"Doctor, why?"

"Because you'd make a great lawyer. But the answer is still no."

I frowned and decided to change my tactics.

"What if I promise to stay with you, you make the decision on how close we get. I just have to see her Edward, even if it's from a distance."

"Chris, seeing your mother is not Carlisle's issue. Realize it or not, you are a newborn vampire and with that comes a strong desire for human blood. I don't know if I will be able to hold you if even one person's blood calls out to you. Can you promise without a doubt that you will ignore it?"

I leaned against the wall, no…I couldn't promise. When that hunter entered our "camp" a few days ago I barely remember the details, it was like a blackness had covered my mind, the same would be true in London…a city, filled with people, damaged from night after night of bombs and…the possibility of open sores…blood…death…

"I'll hold my breath, I'll close my eyes, you guide me there and I'll only open my eyes long enough to see her. That I can promise."

"Carlisle would kill the both of us."

"No, he wouldn't. He'll never know we're there."

"It's too dangerous Chris. I'm sorry."

Ok, I had asked, I had pleaded, I had even bribed. Enough is enough.

"I'm sorry too..." I took off running, despite being able to read my mind I threw Edward completely off guard, the first time and probably the last time I'd ever be able to do so.

Of course, I didn't make it very far, I'm fast, but I also had no idea where I was going, I was guessing which was to London, guessing that I was going the right direction, guessing where the cottage was located.

Way too much guessing, it slowed me down and even though being a newborn made me faster and even stronger than Edward, confusion slowed me down and he quickly tackled me to the ground.

"I cannot believe you did that! Are you mad?" he shouted as he pinned me down "do you really not care about the danger you are putting innocent people in? Your mother being one of them. What if her blood calls to you Chris, what if she's the one person that sets your instincts off and you attack her? You will never forgive yourself, Chris. Even if it isn't your mother, you will never forgive yourself if you kill someone, especially someone innocent. Believe me, Chris, I know what it is like to kill a human, to drink their blood. It is not something you get over it stays with you forever. Remember what Carlisle said? Immortality is a long time to endure guilt and regret. He was not speaking about himself Chris, he was speaking about you and the regret and pain he knows you would feel if you gave into human blood. Carlisle sees himself in you and knows you would react the same way, it's your personality Chris."

I sighed and crossed my arms, I didn't want to admit it, but he was right…about all of it. I knew how I felt even taking an animal's life, how would I react to taking another human's life.

"I know…" I said softly.

He sighed

"But your still not going to listen are you?"

"Edward, the last thing I said to my mother was to leave me be. She wanted to hug me, fix my jacket, kiss me goodbye and I ignored her. My friends were waiting for me. I told her I was too old for her to be hugging and kissing me in public or at all for that matter. The last thing she said to me was I love you and I didn't answer her, I pretended I hadn't heard her. I all but told her I hated her…How would you feel…if you were in my place…could you live an eternity with that hanging over you?" Edward could see all this in my mind, I know he could, he could see it playing out. "Understand now?"

"I can't believe I'm going to give into this. If you leave my side, even take a step closer than I tell you I will pick you up and bring you back here. And if I think things are going to get out of hand you promise you will let me take over and get us out of there?" I nodded. Edward took an unnecessary deep breath. "First, you are going to hunt…no more rabbits, we're finding something bigger, stronger. This is your island, what type of predators do you have here?"


	7. Chapter 7

 

                                                                     

 

We walked down my street, it was quiet. Of course, it was, it was just after dusk, everyone was home eating supper, listening to the wireless, listening for the air raid sirens to scream.

I quickly saw the Packard parked on the side of the street, in front of my house. Like the creatures of the night we were, Edward and I stayed in the shadows, especially when we saw people. I kept my promise, I hadn't taken a breath in nearly twenty minutes, it was uncomfortable I found, not breathing meant I couldn't smell anything and my body was not happy about that.

Edward kept his hand firmly on my shoulder, true to his word he wasn't taking any chances. I could see my house, I could see a figure moving around in the front window, thank goodness my mother hadn't pulled the blackout curtains. Edward guided me closer to the house, from our angle on the street I could see inside my family's drawing room, where after dinner we'd sit together.

Dad and mum listen to the wireless while I partially paid attention; I was absorbed in my books, every now and then Dad would lean down and whisper some comment about the wireless host or the news that would have me chuckling and him snorting while mum gave us warning looks.

I sighed, those days were gone now. This would be it, the last time I would see my mother…and my father…he was somewhere in London maybe, but I didn't know where. I closed my eyes for a second, making sure I kept his face strong in my mind, it was months since I last saw my father, but I would never see him again.

I stood on my tiptoes to get a better look as my mother followed by Carlisle entered the room. But all I could see was the tops of their heads, Edward sighed and nodded his head towards a tree that has always sat across from my house, but I never paid much attention to it, when I was younger it wasn't anything special to climb on, not like the ones just down the street in the gardens and the park.

I quickly got Edward's suggestion and pulled myself into the tree, I didn't go that far, however, as Edward kept a firm grip on my ankle, but I was high enough to see into my house. I hoped someone didn't peek out their window and ring Scotland Yard, but that worry slowly drifted out of my mind as I finally saw my mother's face.

She looked so tired, so worn out, and I felt ashamed I had done this to her. Maybe it would have been better if I had died, that way, at least she'd have a body to see, proof, physical proof. Without a body, there would always be a chance I would walk through the door.

Even with our superhuman hearing, I couldn't hear exactly what was being said, but at the moment I didn't care, it was my mother's face I wanted to see and now that I had, I realized I didn't want this image in my mind for eternity. What I thought I could accomplish by returning home now made no sense at all, I wouldn't be able to tell my mum that I was sorry myself, that would fall on Dr. Cullen. I wouldn't stand face to face with her and hear her tell me that she wasn't cross or hurt by my actions that morning.

I did not feel the guilt that ate away at my stomach ease at all like I had expected it to do, instead, it grew worse.

The hurt I had seen on my mother's face when I had told her to lay off me, it was nothing compared to the hurt I now saw on her face.

"What did you expect Chris? That she would be happy?" I growled at him and he growled right back. "She's your mother. This was one of the reasons he did not want you to come. He didn't want this to be your last image of your mother."

"I don't care about the memories Edward," I lied, he looked ready to argue with me, but decided against it, instead he turned his attention back to Dr. Cullen and my mother. "Edward, what are they saying?"

"Carlisle is explaining who he is and how he knows her. She's asking if he knows your whereabouts if you are in a hospital somewhere, she told him that she's been frantically looking for you, but no one's been able to give her any news." He paused and looked up at me "he's telling her as gently as possible that he was there when you were brought to the hospital after being unearthed after the bombing on the 14th." He paused again "she knows what's coming to Chris, your mother can read it in his voice." He chuckled a bit and I glared at him. How could he possibly think this was funny?

"What is so funny?" I growled

"I think I know where you got your ability to read people. Your mother, am I correct?"

I looked at him, then back at her. I had never thought about that. It certainly made sense, mum always knew what dad and I were up to, we never got away with anything because she could always tell what we were up to even if neither of us said anything.

"I suppose…" I leaned against the tree, resting my head against the branch "what are they saying now?"

"She believes him, but doesn't at the same time."

"How is that possible?"

"She believes he's telling the truth, but she doesn't believe you're truly dead." Edward paused and looked up at me his face serious.

"What?" I was confused, either she believed I was dead or she didn't, there was no middle place on this.

"This time there is." Edward answered my thoughts "I can't be sure, but it's like your mother knows as her son you are dead, but" my eyes went wide.

All my life I had grown up listening to my father tell me legends of Scotland and when I was older he began telling me the vampire legends that I, like him grew to love.

Mum always acted like she hated the stories, she turned away and ignored the two of us whenever the subject was brought up.

But if Edward was telling the truth about the thoughts that lay deep in my mother's mind, she had been listening whether she believed them at the time was not relevant, the point was she believed them now.

"My God." I breathed "what…what will happen?"

Edward shook his head

"She believes her own heart and feels that whatever has happened to you, you are safe."

"You're pulling my leg," I hissed down to him "there is no way my mother of all people would believe in such things. She calls them foolish mindless tales, she always chastised my father for filling my head with such tales as immortal blood-drinking creatures."

"Chris I am not lying to you, what she is telling Carlisle is one thing, these are thoughts inside her mind."

"Has he showed her the watch? That will put her mind at rest."

"He's about to, he's telling her that you had given it to him before you died, that your greatest concern was not dying, but getting home to her."

"Good." I nodded and hung my head. Despite what Edward had said about my mother actually listening to my father's tales and believing them, I know my mother better than he, whether he has seen in her mind or not. I'm her son not him.

I just hoped that Carlisle could lay her pain to rest and that she would move on even a bit. I just wish my father was there with her, to comfort and console her…

"Come on Chris, we should go back."

I wasn't ready…I couldn't leave my spot; I was frozen, staring at my mother's beautiful face. Had she always been that beautiful, had her face always had that strong caring look on it?

How had I never noticed these, I loved my mother, but searching my brain I could not remember noticing how beautiful she actually is, at least not recently, I'm sure when I was younger I did, but when was the last time I thought it, let alone said it?

Edward was pulling on my ankle, trying to get me down, his pulls were becoming more and more insistent.

"No, please another minute," I begged

"Chris now. Carlisle's getting ready to leave let's go!" I was reluctant to do so, but I slid out of the tree, the second I hit the ground Edward's hand was back on my shoulder. "Carlisle knows we're here," I looked up at Edward in surprise "he figured you wouldn't listen about this, but he expects us to limit the chances we take." We were walking down the street, in the distance, I could see Saint Paul…it was still there, the Germans hadn't destroyed it. I smiled a bit and Edward looked down at me curious

"As long as Saint Paul's stands, London will survive," I repeated my mother's words…

Edward nodded

"Trust me, Chris, I know about war and duty." I looked at him quickly, "you have this war, I had the Great War, and I can guarantee this will not be the last war humanity faces..."

"Wars come and go, and still humanity survives." I grinned "nothing's permanent in this wicked world, not even our troubles." Edward looked over at me, grinning

"Charlie Chaplin?" he guessed

"Of course." We shared a chuckle as we headed back to our cottage as we did I glanced around I knew I'd probably never be back to London, least not for a very long time. I wanted my home embedded in my mind, even if it is a skeleton of the city I had grown to love I would still remember it. Like with my parents, my family, my friends, my country.

 

                                                                             

 


End file.
